"10 Big Myths about copyright explained"

by Brad Templeton

An attempt to answer common myths about copyright seen on the net and cover issues related to copyright and USENET/Internet publication.

1) If it doesn't have a copyright notice, it's not copyrighted.
2) If I don't charge for it, it's not a violation.
3) If it's posted to Usenet it's in the public domain.
4.) My posting was just fair use!
5) If you don't defend your copyright you lose it. -- Somebody has that name copyrighted!
6) If I make up my own stories, but base them on another work, my new work belongs to me.
7) They can't get me, defendants in court have powerful rights!
8) Oh, so copyright violation isn't a crime or anything?
9) It doesn't hurt anybody -- in fact it's free advertising.
10) They e-mailed me a copy, so I can post it.
11) So I can't ever reproduce anything?

Note that this is an essay about copyright myths. It assumes you know at least what copyright is -- basically the legal exclusive right of the author of a creative work to control the copying of that work.